Since he arrived in Atlanta in 2018, Trae Young has been the face of the Hawks … for better or for worse. But now it seems that the partnership has run its course and Young has likely played his last game for the Hawks. Given his proven pedigree, it would be safe to assume that the 4-time All-Star would be a great addition to any team in the NBA but Jeff Teague believes that is far from the case.
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The sun hasn’t shone on Atlanta for the past few seasons. Ever since the team’s unexpected Eastern Conference Finals run in 2021, they have failed to meet expectations. The last four years, the Hawks have been reduced to a perennial Play-In team.
The Hawks front desk tried to remedy that situation with acquisitions of Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. It was hoped that they would finally be able to turn things around, especially with a rather volatile Eastern Conference. Instead, they are currently the 10th seed once again.
While there have been countless reasons for it, Young’s unavailability has become the most visible to the naked eye. What’s somehow worse is that fact that on the days that he has graced the court, Young hasn’t particularly contributed to winning. The Hawks are 2-8 in games in which Young has played. Consequently, both parties have agreed it’s time to move on.
ESPN insider Shams Charania reported yesterday that the Hawks and Young are currently working together to facilitate a trade. But former Hawks star Jeff Teague fears that Young’s style of play won’t allow him to be the best player on any team that signs him.
“I’m not saying Trae Young isn’t a star or a superstar; he is to me,” Teague said on the Club 520 Podcast. “I just don’t think you can build a team around a small guard.”
Plenty of the teams that would be in the mix for Young don’t have a distinguished star to pair alongside him. As a result, he would most likely be the team’s best player. Teague doesn’t believe that equates to winning basketball. After all, the Hawks have experienced those very struggles for the past 8 years.
It’s not a criticism of Young as a player; for the most part, there’s not much he can do. His defensive effort has improved over the past few years but there are limitations for a defensive end at 6-foot-2.
“Too much stuff has to go right. The two guard has to be 6’7. Your center has to be defensively minded,” Teague added.
Taking his beliefs into consideration, Teague believes the Houston Rockets would be the ideal situation for Young.
“If he goes to a Houston team, which has a lot of defensive players like Steven Adams, Jabari Smith. Then you’ve got KD, who can play off of and make his job easier. It would take a lot of pressure off of him,” Teague proclaimed.
Unfortunately, the likelihood of Young with the Rockets is extremely low. Young is also under contract for one more season, including a $48.9 million player option. It’ll be difficult for a team to acquire Young as a supporting star while earning that much money.
